Domino's Pizza is thriving as recession-hit Britain turns to comfort food. With takeaway meals rising in popularity, the UK's largest pizza delivery chain is hiring 1,500 new staff this year and hopes to grab a slice of the corporate market.

The company enjoyed a 15% rise in like-for-like sales, which strip out figures from new stores, in the past six weeks. A fortnight ago, when Britain saw its heaviest snowfall in two decades, sales jumped by 20%.

Chris Moore, the chief executive, said: "We've seen a big increase in the average order, which is mainly down to the fact that people are buying more stuff – an indication that they are down-trading from restaurants."

Domino's has seen a big influx of more affluent people, which has driven up the average order price to just under £18.

Pepperoni Passion remains Domino's most popular pizza, priced at around £13.99 (franchisees set their own prices). The firm has launched a new Premiere Pizza, which costs about a pound more.

Profits before tax climbed by 25% to £23.4m in the year to 28 December, beating City forecasts. This prompted analysts to upgrade their 2009 profit forecasts to around £26.4m.

"Domino's is currently benefiting from what is becoming the standard stay-at-home response to the recession and is making hay while the sun shines," said Mark Brumby at Blue Oar Securities. "The group believes that 2009 will be another year of 'strong growth' and we would concur with that view."

Domino's Pizza UK & IRL plc, which holds the UK and Ireland franchise for the US pizza brand via its wholly-owned subsidiary Domino's Pizza Group, has 553 stores. The company is ramping up its store openings – seeing at least 50 a year – and could exceed its target of having 1,000 stores by 2017, it said. With every new store creating 30 to 35 jobs, the company's workforce is set to jump to 30,000, from 18,000 today.

Fast-food chain KFC - whose "bargain buckets" feed a family of four for £10 - is also seeing strong growth thanks to the change in eating habits. It is creating 9,000 jobs.

Domino's has decided to target office workers this year, having opened new outlets in business areas in London and Manchester.

It wants to work with Top Table, the online restaurant service used by many company PAs, to "encourage them to see pizza as a working-lunch option", said Moore.